Fastener



IN V EN TOR.

E. J. FREEMAN FASTENER Filed March 20, 1952 Aug. 19, 1958 United States Patent O FASI'ENER Ellsworth J. Freeman, Abilene, Tex., assigner to Oscar W. Jolly, Abilene, Tea.

Application March 20, 1952, Serial No. 277,620 2 Claims. (Cl. 24--164) My invention relates to fasteners which are used for fastening, clamping or binding together two or more flat members, such as sheets or straps, and in particular to those fasteners which, like a staple, have two or more upstanding prongs passing through the at members to effect such binding or fastening. My fastener further is provided with latching means to hold the ilat members in bound position, but which can be unlatched to permit separation of the fiat members, after which they may again be re-fastened as desired.

The object of my invention is to provide a fastener of this type for use with sheets or straps which have considerable thickness and are composed of tougher material, which may be readily fastened by a thong or latch after the prongs have been inserted through the flat members,

which may readily be unfastened to permit the sheets or i straps to be separated, and which may be used again and again for such fastening and unfastening.

A further object of my invention is to provide for the use of my fastener in successive Apositions so that there may be choice as to the position at which one sheet is fastened to the other.

To these ends my invention resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like characters indicate like parts:

Fig. 1 is a front view of leather straps fastened by my improved fastener;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same in section taken on the center line of the fastener;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the underlying strap 1 with the fastener attached thereto;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the fastening unit;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the fastening unit as stamped out before bending up the prongs 3; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the fastening unit.

The strap 1 and the strap 5 are of leather; the underlying strap 1 is bent back upon itself leaving a loop at the bottom to hold the stirrup 10 or other article that it may be desired to hold. It is between the folds of this strap 5 that I place my fastener.

This fastener is made out of sheet metal and has a flat base 6 which is wider than the upstanding bent up prongs 3 and is provided with two holes 7, 7. The whole fastener may be stamped out flat, as shown in Fig. 5, after which the prongs 3 are bent up at right angles to the base 6. These prongs 3 are of such height that they will just pass through the slotted holes 4 in the overlying strap 5; and near the upper end of prong 3, a slot 9 is provided through which the thong 2 may pass so that it will ride on top of the strap 5 and hold the strap in fastened position.

The outer fold of the underlying strap 1 has slots cut through same to permit the prongs 3 to be pushed through so that the base 6 is flat against the surface of the outer fold. After the inner fold of the strap 1 has been folded down over the base 6, the rivets 8 are passed through each of the two folds and through the holes 7 in the base 6 and fastened so that they hold the fastener to both of the folds of the strap 1 and hold the two folds to each other.

To permit the prongs 3 to pass through it the overlying strap 5 is provided with a series of slotted holes 4 so positioned that any two adjoining holes will permit the prongs 3 to pass through. By choosing the pair of holes through which the prongs 3 shall pass adjustment of one strap with reference to the other is provided for.

The leather thong 2 is attached to the outer fold of the underlying strap 1 at such distance from the nearest prong 3 that it will pass through the next vacant slot 4 to reach the front surface of the overlying strap 5. When the thong 2 has thus been pulled through the appropriate slot 4 it may be passed through the holes 9 in the prongs 3 so as to hold the overlying strap 5 in fastened position.

In unfastem'ng the thong 2 `is pulled out of the holes 9 and the prongs 3 of the fastener are pulled back out of the slotted holes 4. The thong 2 is then pulled back through the slotted hole 4 used for its passage, thereby completely separating the overlying strap 5 from the underlying strap l. A new position can now be chosen and the prongs 3 passed through the proper slotted holes 4 and the thong 2 passed through the next vacant slotted hole 4 and the fastening again completed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An underlying strap having disposed longitudinally thereon, and fastened thereto, a fastener having a fiat base lying upon said strap, and two upstanding prongs of substantial Width shaped to pass through both said underlying strap and the overlying strap, each prong being bent up from said base at the end thereof so that said prongs are substantially parallel to each other, an overlying strap having a series of slotted holes spaced so that the two prongs will t any two successive holes, each prong having an hole therethrough near the top thereof, and being of such height that it protrudes beyond the top surface of the overlying strap, but no further than to bring the bottom edge of said hole flush with said top surface.

2. An underlying strap having disposed longitudinally thereon and fastened thereto, a fastener having a at base lying upon said strap, and two upstanding prongs of substantial width shaped to pass through said underlying strap and the overlying strap, each prong being bent up from said base at the end thereof so that said prongs are substantially parallel to each other, and each prong having a hole therethrough near the top thereof, an overlying strap having a series of slotted holes spaced so that the two prongs will fit into any two successive holes, each prong being of such height that it protrudes beyond the top surface of the overlying strap but no further than to bring the bottom edge of said hole Hush with said surface, and a thong attached to the underlying it may be passed through a vacant slotted hole in the overlying strap and passed through the hole in each of said prongs.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

